CAIR-NY Condemns Racist Arson Attack on Home of African-American Family
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(NEW YORK, N.Y., 5/16/2017) – The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) today condemned an allegedly bias-motivated arson attack on the home of an African-American family in upstate New York.
On Sunday night, authorities were alerted to a fire at an African-American family’s home in Schodack, New York. Law enforcement had found a swastika and racial slurs spray-painted on the front of the garage before it was destroyed. Though the home was also damaged by the fire, it remained largely unharmed. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
SEE: Black family's garage torched, painted with racist graffiti in Schodack, police say
http://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/Schodack-police-probe-garage-fire-graffiti-as-11147194.php
SEE: Schodack Incident Investigated as Hate Crime
http://www.twcnews.com/nys/capital-region/crime/2017/05/15/schodack-incident-investigated-as-hate-crime.html
“Too often we have seen how bais-incidents affect families and destroy lives of different targeted groups while going largely unnoticed,” said Afaf Nasher, Executive Director for CAIR-NY. “We are glad that in this instance the family is safe, and that authorities are investigating this as a hate crime. This proactive approach by law enforcement is a step in the right direction for the safety of this family, and for all New Yorkers.”
“All New York police departments must make sure that hate crimes are investigated and punished to the full extent of the law,” said Albert Cahn, Legal Director for CAIR-NY. “We must do more as a state to secure that long-unfilled promise that no New Yorker should ever face violence because of their race or faith.”
CAIR-NY called on the Erie County Sheriff's Office Fire Investigation Unit last week to step-up its investigation of a “suspicious” fire that damaged a building owned by the Lackawanna Islamic Mosque of Lackawanna, N.Y., injuring seven.
SEE: CAIR-NY Urges Stepped-Up Probe of 'Suspicious' Fire at Mosque-Owned Building Housing New Immigrants
https://www.cair-ny.org/news/2017/5/11/cair-ny-urges-stepped-up-probe-of-suspicious-fire-at-mosque-owned-building-housing-new-immigrants
Earlier this week, CAIR condemned recent racist incidents in Idaho and Virginia as part of the “rising tide of bigotry in our nation.”
SEE: CAIR Condemns Racist Incidents in Idaho, Virginia as Part of ‘Rising Tide of Bigotry’
In CAIR’s recently released 2017 Civil Rights Report, “The Empowerment of Hate,” the civil rights group noted a nationwide spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes, which rose more than 580 percent from 2014-2016. Additionally, attacks on Muslim-owned property, including vandalism and arson, increased nearly eight-fold from 2014-2016. The situation is even more extreme in New York State, where anti-Muslim hate incidents increased more than 560 percent in just 2016.
SEE: CAIR Civil Rights Report 2017
https://www.cair-ny.org/news/2017/5/10/press-release-civil-rights-report-2017
SEE: “The Empowerment of Hate” Civil Rights Report
Video: Press Conference: CAIR-NY Civil Rights Report 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlhYaJhGyi8
Community members are asked to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR-NY at (646) 665-7599, or by filing a report at: https://www.cair-ny.org/incident-report/
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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